The government has given major relief to air travelers. Now, if you cancel or change your ticket within 48 hours of booking, in most cases, you won’t have to pay extra charges.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has updated refund rules to make them more passenger-friendly.
What Is the 48-Hour ‘Look-In’ Option?
Under the revised Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), airlines must offer a 48-hour “look-in option.”
This allows passengers to cancel or modify their ticket within 48 hours of booking without any penalty. However, if you select a new flight with a higher fare, you will need to pay the difference.
When Does This Option Not Apply?
This rule does not apply in all cases:
If the ticket is booked directly on the airline’s website and the flight date is within 7 days (domestic) or 15 days (international) from booking, the 48-hour option cannot be used.
Once the 48 hours pass, normal cancellation or change fees will apply.
No Extra Charges for Name Corrections
The DGCA has also allowed passengers to correct name errors on tickets without any additional charges.
If a ticket is bought directly from the airline’s website and a name error is reported within 24 hours of booking, the airline cannot charge a fee.
Even if the ticket was booked through a travel agent or online portal, the airline is responsible for processing refunds. Agents are considered airline representatives, and refunds must be completed within 14 working days.
Medical Emergencies and Refunds
The new rules also cover medical emergencies:
If the passenger or a family member listed on the same PNR is hospitalized during the travel period, the airline may provide a refund or credit.
For other cases, the refund will be decided by an aerospace medicine expert empanelled by the airline or DGCA, who will assess whether the passenger is fit to travel.
Why These Rules Were Introduced
Complaints about delayed refunds had been rising, especially after the December 2025 flight disruptions involving IndiGo. Following this, the Ministry of Civil Aviation instructed airlines to speed up pending refunds.
DGCA reported that scheduled airlines received 29,212 passenger complaints in December 2025, with 7.5% related to refunds.
In the same month, domestic airlines carried over 14.3 million passengers.
In 2025, Indian airlines carried over 166.9 million passengers, showing rapid growth in the aviation sector. With such a large number of travelers, protecting passenger interests has become even more important.
